GOURMET BURRITO FEATURES ASPARAGUS

Sunny explores the history of the asparagus plant and then shares a healthful, refreshing asparagus-chile recipe that perhaps even carnivores can't resist.
 
What comes to mind when you read "burrito."  Most of us envision chile-laden meat, refried beans, cheese, and sour cream - the works. Well, how about asparagus and chile rolled in a flour tortilla?  Doesn't qualify as true burrito you say? Regardless, when asparagus hit the supermarkets recently - at ninety-nine cents a pound - I put on my chef's cap and created a low calorie savory - Espárragos Melody with Pine Nut Sprinkles - that perhaps even carnivores will relish. 

I was closing in on age 30 before I began appreciating asparagus, a veggie to which Mom always referred as  "a luxury yummy."  During the plant's peak months, March and April, Mom served asparagus with almost every dinner, requiring that I clean my plate before excusing myself from the table. The only way I managed to polish off the slimy, gross things that lay limp (overcooked) in a pool of butter was to cut them into microscopic pieces and hide them beneath a mound of chunky mashed potatoes slathered in gravy.  But when my palate later matured, asparagus soon topped my roster of vegetable favorites.

Ancient Greeks plucked wild asparagus and Romans later nurtured the plant in home gardens.   Both cultures used asparagus juice for medicinal purposes - to ease the bite of bee stings and the pain of toothaches.  Native to the Mediterranean, the juicy stalk was introduced in New England in the 1700s by Dutch and English colonists. By the mid-1800s, the plant was cultivated in California. Today, asparagus grows predominantly in California, Michigan and Washington.  During off-peak months - July through December - Mexico and Chile are the world's largest producers.

Grown in sandy soil, the asparagus plant ranges in color from green to purple to white, and survive for nearly a decade. French asparagus (white) is cultivated underground which prevents it from becoming green.  White spears tend to be thicker and smoother than the green variety.  The larger the spear, the more mature the plant.  Tough stems are made more palatable by shearing the outer layer with a knife or vegetable peeler and tough ends should be snapped off.  The best tasting asparagus has firm, bright green (or pale ivory) stalks with tight buds.  Asparagus stays fresh for several days when snuggly wrapped in plastic or stored upright in one inch of water and covered with a plastic bag.

There are several ways to prepare asparagus - raw (in salads), steamed, microwaved, grilled, sautéed, or roasted. Some chefs smother the stalks with white sauce or other gourmet-like toppings. Others prefer the steamed variety, drizzled with margarine and seasoned with salt and pepper.

I used steamed spears al dente to create Espárragos Melody, a visually appealing and highly textured dainty garden mélange gently kissed with Sandia chile. Here's the low down:

Espárragos Melody with Pine Nut Sprinkles (serves about 6)

Note:  If you're not a calorie counter, substitute fat free items with the "real" thing.

1 pkg. oversized flour tortillas, lard free (98 percent fat free variety)
1 pound asparagus, steamed
1 large and firm red bell pepper, julienne
1 medium onion, sliced paper thin
6 roasted, peeled and de-veined plump Sandia (or other favorite) chile, cut lengthwise
1/2 pound of asadero or Monterey Jack cheese, sliced thin
1/2 cup pine (pinon) nuts (roasted tastes best)
Fat free sour cream
Fresh or dried parsley
Cilantro
Fresh Parmesan


Steam asparagus, preferably resting in a vegetable steamer, until just tender or until it offers a slight resistance when bitten into.  (Do not overcook!)  Set aside.  Place a flour tortilla on a microwaveable dinner plate.  Put three pieces of cheese across the center of the tortilla.  Wrap a chile slab around a bundle of five slender asparagus stalks (use fewer if asparagus is chubby).  Place bundle in center of tortilla. Top with bell pepper and onion.  Scatter tortilla with parsley and pine nuts. (Easy on the high calorie pine nuts!) Roll tortilla into a burrito.  Microwave until just heated through and cheese begins to melt.  Top with two or three dollops of sour cream and garnish with Parmesan sprinkles and two or three cilantro sprigs. For additional color, add a bell pepper sliver.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.  Serve with a spinach salad tossed with more pine nuts, mandarin orange slices and a favorite dressing.